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Jonathan Davies

Wind back four years and Davies was one of the stars on the 2013 Lions tour of Australia, famously keeping Brian O’Driscoll out of the series-clinching victory over the Wallabies.

He has struggled to recapture that form consistently since then, amid injury issues, but there were signs of him getting back to somewhere near his best during the Six Nations, with his angles of running and ability to break the line.

Warren Gatland has a lot of time for the 64-cap Scarlet and has made a point of saying that one of your centres needs to be the defensive co-ordinator, a role Davies has filled for him for years.

Dan Biggar

Whether he features in Judgement Day remains to be seen, with the Wales fly-half being assessed following the bang he took to his head at the weekend.

There’s also the possibility the Ospreys might opt to go with Sam Davies at 10 for the meeting with the Blues. But you can bet that Biggar will want to get back out there on the big stage and prove a point following his late penalty miss against Leinster.

And it’s still pretty wide open in terms of Lions fly-half selection. Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton are nailed on for squad spots, but then it looks like a battle between George Ford, Finn Russell and Biggar for maybe one remaining place.

Dan Biggar reacts to missing the last kick of the game against Leinster (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

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John Barclay

You don’t see the Scotland skipper mentioned in too many people’s Lions squads, which is a reflection of the intense competition for back row places.

But in terms of consistency, versatility, experience and leadership, the Hong Kong-born 30-year-old has a lot going for him.

You need adaptable players on tour and there are few people who can match him in terms of being able to do an equally effective job at 6, 7 or 8, as he has proved time and again for the Scarlets.

Could be an ideal midweek captain in the mould of another Scottish back rower, Rob Wainwright, who took on the role in 1997.

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Liam Williams

The man they call Sanjay is be found in a fair few pundits’ Lions Test teams, let alone the projected tour parties.

But with the back three being such a competitive area, he won’t be counting his chickens and will want to send out a reminder of what he has to offer on Judgement Day, where he has had mixed fortunes in the past.

He was sent off against the Blues in 2014, but was then named Man of the Match after touching down against the Dragons the following year.

If you look at likely Lions, Stuart Hogg, Anthony Watson and George North seem odds on for back three spots. After that, it’s very congested and the versatile Williams will want to take this final opportunity to stand out for the crowd.

Justin Tipuric

If you are selecting on form, Tipuric simply has to go to New Zealand. He had an outstanding Six Nations and has carried on in the same vein for the Ospreys.

The openside looked just about their most creative player in the Euro showdown with Stade Francais and was at the heart of pretty much everything they did well against Leinster with tackles, turnovers and a try.

But, of course, the back row is a ferociously competitive area and it’s a question of how many openside options Gatland goes for.

Captaincy favourite Sam Warburton is a definite one and then it’s a battle between Tipuric, Sean O’Brien, James Haskell and Hamish Watson for one or two spots depending on the balance of the group.

Ken Owens

The Sheriff couldn’t have done much more to earn his Lions spurs during the Six Nations, when he was the stand-out hooker in the tournament, with his lineout accuracy, serial tackling and Cannonball carrying.

But, once again, it’s a position where there are plenty of rivals and it looks pretty wide open.

At this stage, you couldn’t say that any hooker is guaranteed squad selection, with Owens joined by Rory Best, Dylan Hartley, Jamie George, Fraser Brown, Sean Cronin and Richard Hibbard in a long queue of contenders.

So the Scarlets skipper will want to take this final chance to impress, but then he’s someone who gives his all for club and country every time he takes the field and he would be the perfect tourist.

(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

Rhys Webb

Of all the players on this list, Webb is probably the one most certain to occupy a seat on the plane to New Zealand.

Once again in his career, he has come back as good as new from serious injury and he could actually benefit from his winter break as it means he will be fresher than most this summer.

You would imagine he will join Conor Murray and Ben Youngs in the Lions scrum-half contingent and he has to be a very realistic contender for the Test No 9 jersey given the attacking threat he offers, something which he demonstrated during the Six Nations, when he was Wales’ main creative spark.

So, this weekend, it’s about continuing that rich vein of form with the Ospreys and confirming his selection.

Rhys Webb in action for the Ospreys against Leinster

Gareth Davies

If Webb is nailed on for squad selection, then fellow scrum-half Davies is pretty much an outsider.

He had very limited opportunities as understudy during the Six Nations and hasn’t quite been such a presence for the Scarlets this season, with Aled Davies and Jonathan Evans having caught the eye more at times.

So if Davies is to stake a very late claim, he will need a big game on Judgement Day and we do know what an impact he can make when firing on all cylinders.

Realistically, his best chance of being involved with the Lions would probably be as an injury replacement, with Wales on hand in New Zealand this summer.

Scarlets scrum-half Gareth Davies is tackled by Rob Webber

Samson Lee

If you look at the tight-head department, then Tadhg Furlong and Dan Cole seem certainties to tour, but after that there’s one more spot very much up for grabs, with WP Nel out of the equation due to his neck injury.

Adam Jones’ protege at Harlequins, Kyle Sinckler, is probably the frontrunner, but the 34-cap Lee has to be a serious contender, along with his Wales rival Tomas Francis and Munster’s John Ryan.

He played second fiddle to Francis during the Six Nations, but is featuring more regularly at club level than the Exeter man and has been in good scrummaging form as he will to demonstrate this weekend.

Samson Lee carries hard (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

Rob Evans

While tight-head candidates are a little thin on the ground, the opposite is very much the case at loosehead.

The list of rivals for Evans is long and packed with quality. You’ve got Mako Vunipola, Jack McGrath, Joe Marler, Gethin Jenkins and Cian Healy, with young Ellis Genge also having his supporters.

But Evans had a fine Six Nations, in terms of his scrummaging, his carrying and his passing, with a couple of his long-miss passes putting him at risk of being drummed out of the front row union!

Like Owens, he would also be a tremendous tourist, being a real character and a born competitor.

Alex Cuthbert

Just a few weeks ago, the idea of the Cardiff Blues wing being mentioned in a Lions context would have seemed far fetched in the extreme after his traumatic time for Wales and the level of abuse he came in for from some brave souls on social media.

He’s probably still very much an outsider now given the long list of back three candidates. But his superb regional rugby of late means he merits a mention going into Judgement Day, where his workrate, powerful carrying and finishing will make him a serious threat to the Ospreys.

And let’s not forget this is a man who scored a sizzling solo try in the opening Lions Test four years ago.

Above all, it’s just good to see him getting back to that kind of form again.

Alex Cuthbert celebrates scoring his second try against Gloucester

Scott Williams

Having spent years as an understudy, Williams finally got his chance this season as he was handed the Wales No 12 jersey in place of the long-serving Jamie Roberts.

The hope was he would bring something different to the party in terms of his passing ability and creativity. And he has certainly had his moments, having a hand in some of the more fluid movements.

But the Championship tailed off for him somewhat in Paris and he looks to be a little way down the pecking order for centre selection.

So he will need a repeat of last season’s Man of the Match performance for the Scarlets against the Dragons to push his way into the reckoning, with a summer South Seas tour more likely.